A Matter of Timing - Marcia Lee Laycock

Last week I watched two full grown geese land on a small pond across from my home. It was quite funny to watch, because the pond was frozen. The geese gracefully flapped their wings and extended their feet, anticipating the landing, but when they touched down they skidded sideways and plopped down unceremoniously on their bottoms. When they recovered they stomped about, seeming indignant.

When I saw them stomping around on the ice it made me think of those times when I’ve been impatient with God’s timing. It often seems that He isn’t in sync. with my estimation of when things should happen. Give me patience, Lord. Right now!

But His timing is always perfect. When my new novel, One Smooth Stone won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award, I was thrilled that it would soon be in print. Then I discovered that the word, ‘soon’ is relative. There was a delay because the publisher wanted a certain editor to work with me, and she was busy with other projects. Then there was a bit of miscommunication and I was waiting for her while she was waiting for me to get in touch. Then, when it was finally begun, the editing process took time. But finally my publisher told me the books were ready to ship. I waited - impatiently - for them to arrive on my doorstep. The book launch was to be held on the first night of a writers’ conference and, of course, I wanted the books in hand for that event. I was thankful when they arrived, safe and sound, a few days before the scheduled launch.

I remember lifting the first book out of the box. I knew exactly where it was going. I gave it to my friend – I’ll call her Barb.

Barb has had a hard life – her husband left her with four small children to raise and no resources. The family struggled through. Then one of Barb’s daughters, I’ll call her Lucy, was raped when she was a teenager. Though Barb managed to hold on to her faith in Christ, Lucy has been bitter and angry with God ever since. The day after my books arrived, Barb gave that copy of One Smooth Stone to Lucy. A few days later she got a phone call.

Lucy told her that she had had no intention of reading the book – she’d thought, oh yeah, there goes Mom with the religious stuff again. But that next day she got the flu and the only thing she had in the house to read was my book. So she picked it up and started to read. She said she couldn’t put it down. When she called her mom she was in tears because she said that after reading the book, she finally believed God does still love her, in spite of everything.

The timing was perfect. God’s timing. Not mine. Next time I get impatient I’ll try and remember how ridiculous those geese looked, stomping around on solid ice.

Faith Like A Rock

A co-worker continually enters my office for a brief chat about life, family issues, health concerns etc. He has had brain surgery several years ago, and suffers from seizures periodically. He’s been having complications due to differing medical prescriptions that doctors prescribe to get the seizures under control. What’s so amazingly funny is that each visit there is a different bruise located somewhere on his body.

On one occasion he had a fall and he came in my office with a bruised eye, a large lump on his head and a badly scraped knee. I asked what happened and he replied, “Oh I had a seizure and just fell while walking down the street.” Another day he came in and his eye was badly bruised and his glasses were all scratched up. I faced him and laughed because he was so nonchalant about it. He had taken another fall.

This scene repeated itself over and over in my office. It was as though he was preparing for a spot in a movie and each time getting more make-up on for a crash scene. Even though Jimmy was seriously ill, he appeared to be healthy and strong. Without a doubt he had strong faith. Among our conversations was a discussion about his faith in God. Even if he were to die sitting in my office chair he said that he was ready to go and he showed no fear. His confidence in God’s promises was reassuring.

Suddenly, I was taken away from the sight of the bruises and bumps and scrapes, I saw a man who was as steady as a rock. According to the Bible, this rock is Jesus.

Jesus is referred to many names in the Bible. In Isaiah 26:4, he is named the “Rock Eternal” The verse reads: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.”

When I think about Jesus as being the rock, I think about Him as being firm, steadfast, secure, powerful, solid, unswerving and true. When I think of Jesus as being the “rock eternal,” I think about Him as being true to His promises, certain of who He is.

He promises life abundantly, peace and security in the midst of trouble, and a secured place in heaven if the decision is made to follow Him and trust Him and believe his promises. We are held up by His mighty power and He is the rock of all ages.

Psalm 139: 7 – 10 David says: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there; If I ride on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me fast.”

Yes, He is worthy of our praise, faith and love and expectations of answered prayers. The Bible says to be thankful in all circumstances of life. Who feels like praising God when we find ourselves in the heavy trials of life? Very few perhaps but our faith allows us to trust no matter what the circumstances are and since Jesus promised that he will never leave us or forsake us, we can learn to rely on Him for strength and guidance. We learn to trust and acquire faith; we learn to lean on the solid rock!

May we all learn to place our trust in Him in all circumstances of life!

Jan Keats

25 Things Challenge - Kimberley Payne

I am a member of Facebook and recently received an interesting challenge:

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

At first, I thought “no problem!” But as I got to number 16 I started to slow down the pace. I’ve decided to share my 25 things here and put the challenge out to all you.


1. I still have two baby teeth without permanent teeth following.

2. I’ve never had wisdom teeth…I don’t believe I need them, I’m wise enough (haha)

3. I don’t mind the smell of skunk.

4. I’ve traveled to the Netherlands four times.

5. I have a recurring nightmare where I’m trapped in a run-away elevator.

6. I’m reading the Bible for the 3rd time, and believe it to be all truth.

7. I’ve written 6 books: a health & fitness workbook, 3 devotionals, a novel and a children’s book.

8. I’m working on another children’s book.

9. Like my three brothers, I have the uncanny ability to find typos everywhere.

10. I’ve been in two major car accidents.

11. I’ve never filled out my own income tax (although I’ve taught accounting at the college level).

12. I’ve worked as a personal trainer, career counselor, professor of accounting, waitress, photocopy jockey, and door-to-door salesperson.

13. I’ve met Ron McLean in a bar in Calgary.

14. I’m a laughter junkie.

15. I looked forward to turning 30, but dreaded turning 40!

16. My husband introduced me to snowmobiling…and I like it!

17. I’ve gone skinny-dipping before (shhh, don’t tell anyone).

18. I’m not afraid of dying – I look forward to spending eternity in heaven.

19. I once wanted to have triplets. I now have two children and am quite relieved they weren’t twins!

20. I had a Keeshond dog named Kasey when I was a kid. He was afraid of water.

21. My favourite Bible verse is Philippians 4:6-7.

22. I’ve started my own blog on health & fitness.

23. I won 2nd and 3rd prize in grade school Science Fairs – one project was on the eyeball, the other on mould.

24. I went White Water Rafting 3 times one summer. The last time I went I got tossed from the raft (thus the reason it was the last time!)

25. I had the chicken pox, mumps and poison ivy (but not all at the same time).

Tag – you’re it…how well do you know yourself?

Kimberley Payne

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM - Martha Anderson

The snow that fell a few days ago is a reminder that Christmas is approaching. Along the halls in our building, decorations are appearing on apartment doors. I am determined to do a thorough cleaning of our apartment before I unpack Christmas decorations. Besides, many ideas for articles are dancing around in my head, crying to get onto paper. Upmost in my thoughts right now are the events connected with the Nativity.

To think that back in the beginning of Time when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, He already had laid His plan for redemption. He promised a Redeemer would come through the Seed of the woman. Over the centuries this promise was repeated with more clarity.

Four thousand years later, among the few who were actively looking for the Messiah, were a group of astronomers, presumably three in number, who diligently anticipated His coming. Spotting an unusually bright star, they believed in their hearts that this was God’s sign that the time had come for their hopes to be fulfilled. Accordingly, they made arrangements at once to strike out across the dessert to pay homage to the great King.

I clicked on the television one day and heard a priest proclaiming that the stories of the Nativity and the Resurrection are really fables from which we can draw spiritual lessons. To back up his argument, he asked, “Do you really believe that God dragged a star across the sky slow enough that the wise men could follow it across the desert to Jerusalem?”

No, I don’t believe that. Neither did Matthew, the apostle who recorded the Magi’s visit to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Nowhere does Scripture state that the Wise men followed a star across the desert.

Mathew wrote, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him (Matthew 2:1,2).

In his book, Born in Bethlehem, H.W. Van Der Vaart Smit explained well the appearance of the star.

“An astronomical event, which explains the references in Matthew and helps and helps fix the birth year of Jesus, actually did occur in history, namely the major conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn…
Astronomy, is the most exact of all sciences; it is pure mathematics, and it’s calculations can be relied upon... The double star in the Near East was visible on any clear night for nine months from the beginning of April, and could be observed sometimes before and sometimes after midnight, and at times throughout the entire night.”

These astronomers knew the Christ was to be born in the land of Judea.
Naturally, they would assume the promised king would be born in the palace in Jerusalem. The visit to Jerusalem was not a mistake, however, but part of God’s plan for the message of Messiah’s birth to reach the leaders, both political and religious. Sadly, we have no record that anyone of them even went to investigate the truth for himself.

After receiving a cold reception in Jerusalem, the visitors may have had some conflicting questions tumbling around in their minds. Why were these Jewish scribes and teachers not excited at the birth of their King?

In any case, they set out that same night for the little village of Bethlehem. To their surprise and joy as the travelers made their ascend to Bethlehem, the star they had seen in the east appeared just above the crest of one of the two hills on which Bethlehem is situated. Any doubts that may have risen in their minds were erased by this confirmation from God that the Messiah indeed was born in this place. Through this star God spoke into their hearts the assurance that they were about to see the long-awaited Savior and they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

The conjunction of the two planets could be seen three times that year. So this would have been the second conjunction. Coincidence? Mere chance? Or Divine arrangement?

Jesus is referred to in Scripture as “the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” In other words, before God brought the world into existence, plans were laid for Christ to descend to this planet in human form to die for man’s sin. Could He not schedule the movements of the planets in their orbits so that this conjunction of the two planets would occur at just the precise time He wanted to inform the Wise Men when to start on their journey and again nine months later, to confirm that they had reached their destination?

The incarnation of the Son of God was of such significance that God could have arranged the laws of nature 4000 years before to join in announcing the great event. Indeed God makes the forces of nature to display His power and purpose. This phenomena of the meeting of Saturn and Jupiter did not occur again until 1981 and is not expected to happen again until 2238.

When God speaks, every detail carries significance. As we look forward to the Christmas season, I intend to continue checking out the Scriptural account to learn more about the significance of the details mentioned in connection with the advent story that have so often been skipped over or misinterpreted.